James Boland, 55, appeared before Judge Gary Stiglmeier on Monday in Albany City Court following his arrest Thursday on North Pearl Street, where police said they stopped Boland and found him in possession of about a gram of crack.

Albany police initially charged Boland with fifth-degree drug possession, a felony carrying a penalty of up to 2½ years in prison. Boland, a social studies teacher who has taught at the school since 1996, pleaded not guilty.

That felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor "due to the weight of the drugs," according to Cecilia Walsh, a spokeswoman for District Attorney David Soares.

The school district issued a release Friday stating that the district "cannot and should not speculate" about the charges and that Boland's arrest "took place off of school property and the issue did not affect any on-campus events with our students."

On Monday morning, Boland's defense attorney, George Lamarche, requested a month adjournment in order to get a drug evaluation for Boland, according to Walsh. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 24.